1 Samuel 27:1-4 New International Version
David Among the Philistines
27 But David thought to himself, “One of these days I will be destroyed by the hand of Saul. The best thing I can do is to escape to the land of the Philistines. Then Saul will give up searching for me anywhere in Israel, and I will slip out of his hand.”
2 So David and the six hundred men with him left and went over to Achish son of Maok king of Gath. 3 David and his men settled in Gath with Achish. Each man had his family with him, and David had his two wives: Ahinoam of Jezreel and Abigail of Carmel, the widow of Nabal. 4 When Saul was told that David had fled to Gath, he no longer searched for him.
The Word of God for the Children of God.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
The sad story of 1 Samuel 27 begins with something David said in his heart.
He may have never said it out loud; he may have never said it to anyone else; he may have never said it to God.
But David said it in his heart.
Now I shall be destroyed someday by the hand of Saul:
This is what David said in his heart.
That was a powerful thought of greatest discouragement coming from a heart tired of running, hiding from King Saul, losing sight of his trust in God for His continued deliverance. In his discouragement he forgot God’s past deliverance.
What we say to ourselves, what we repeat to ourselves inside our hearts has a tremendous power to shape our thinking, our actions, even our whole destiny.
Reverend Charles Haddon Spurgeon once said …
“I remember on one occasion, to my shame, being sad and doubtful of heart, and a kind friend took out a paper and read to me a very short extract from a discourse upon faith. I very soon detected the author of the extract; my friend was reading to me from one of my own sermons. Without saying a word he just left it unto my own conscience, for he had convicted me of committing the very fault against which I had so earnestly declaimed.” (Spurgeon)
1 Samuel 27:1 (KJV) reads, “And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.”
This verse marks a significant turning point in the life of David, who is being pursued relentlessly by King Saul.
It is a moment of great desperation for David as he contemplates his future and the constant threat to his life. In this verse, we are a witness to David’s struggle with fear and his hardened decision to seek refuge among the enemies of Israel.
The context of this verse is crucial to understanding its significance.
David was anointed as the future king of Israel by the prophet Samuel, but despite this, he found himself on the run from King Saul, driven by hate, jealousy and paranoia, seeking to eliminate David as a threat to his throne.
Young David, on the other hand, the man after God’s own heart, remained loyal to Saul and refused to harm him despite those multiple opportunities to do so.
Despite his loyalty, unable to communicate with Saul. convince Saul of his true intent, David realized staying in Israel meant he would continue to be hunted.
This realization led him to deeply consider seeking refuge with the Philistines, traditional enemies of Israel.
This decision was a dangerous one, as it could have potentially placed David in a deadly, vulnerable position as a non-combatant in the midst of enemy territory.
The verse begins with David’s internal struggle.
He reflects on his situation and recognizes the gravity of his predicament.
His continuous fear of Saul’s relentless pursuit and the constant threat to his life weigh heavily on him.
Despite his faith and trust in God, David’s humanity and vulnerability are on display here.
His decision to flee to the land of the Philistines is a clear indication of his desperation and the extremes to which he feels compelled to go in order to secure his safety.
It’s important to note here that this verse does not explicitly depict David considering, making motions, mentioning, ruminating over seeking God’s guidance or approval for his decision.
It shows the inner turmoil and desperation that led David to make this decision.
This is a reminder of David’s humanity and his capacity for fear and doubt, even after being identified as a man after God’s own heart. It also serves to remind us that even the strongest of faith can falter in the face of overwhelming adversity.
Where to Turn When our Thoughts Turn to Darkness
We all have to confess that sometimes our thoughts are our greatest enemy.
However difficult his circumstance, David had always placed his confidence in God. Indeed, in the final conversation that ever took place between King Saul and David, David declared to Saul that although he didn’t know what would happen, he knew God would deliver him from his troubles (1 Samuel 26:23-24).
David had good reason for such confidence: deliverance had been a theme throughout his life. Whether it was from the lion, the bear, or the Philistine giant (1 Samuel 17:37), or, later, from Saul’s murderous pursuit of him, David was generally very quick turn his fear away and to attest unto God’s rescue.
It is surprising, then, having just avowed his commitment to the delivering hand of God, he convinced himself in his heart Saul would eventually kill him.
Rather than reflecting on God’s goodness and faithfulness, he allowed his thoughts to go to dark places.
His confidence gave way to depression and his faith gave way to fear, and so he went to seek security in the company of the enemy (1 Samuel 27:2)—a decision that would inevitably lead to a dangerous mess of deceit and difficulty (v 8-11).
Our thoughts really matter; they give rise to our actions.
An old saying reminds us of this principle: Sow a thought, reap an action. Sow an action, reap a habit. Sow a habit, reap a character. Sow a character, reap a destiny.
We may be able to look back on chapters in our own lifetime when, like David, you began to talk a continuous stream of discouragement into yourself, made foolish choices, and found yourself trapped.
Perhaps you are struggling with finances, or health, you may be in that place right now, struggling to stop your thoughts spiraling inward and downwards, leading you into a course of action you know, deep down, is unwise or wrong.
David didn’t just need saving from threats to his life; he needed saving from himself—and so do you and I.
But the good news is that we can’t exhaust God’s compassion, kindness and forgiveness and mercy, even if our thoughts have gone in the wrong direction and even if our actions have taken us off course, lowered our faith’s threshold.
As God rescued David, so He has rescued us through the cross of Christ.
When you find your thoughts turning to dark places, then, remind yourself of the immeasurable magnitude of God’s goodness, deliverance, and faithfulness, and let that shape your heart’s response to the difficulties you face, and shape, transition into the new course you will take as you do navigate them with God.
You do not have to walk or run into the hands of your enemy the Philistines!
You are absolutely free to choose to run to God – Father, Son and Holy Spirit!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Psalm 121 Authorized (King James) Version
Psalm 121
A Song of degrees.
1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills,
from whence cometh my help.
2 My help cometh from the Lord,
which made heaven and earth.
3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved:
he that keepeth thee will not slumber.
4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel
shall neither slumber nor sleep.
5 The Lord is thy keeper:
the Lord is thy shade upon thy right hand.
6 The sun shall not smite thee by day,
nor the moon by night.
7 The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil:
he shall preserve thy soul.
8 The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in
from this time forth, and even for evermore.
Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
as it was in the beginning,
is now, and ever shall be,
world without end. Amen, amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 